Monday, August 25, 2008

Fish podiatrist

Didn't know that fish have feet? Few do. But this isn't about doctors who care for fish feet. This is a story about fish who care for the feet of humans.

Or, more exactly, fish who eat the dead skin on your feet for a price:

Ivy Tominack of St. Louis is visiting relatives in Maryland and "took a detour" to experience the pedicure firsthand. "I love it," she says, describing the feeling of the fish nibbles as "prickle kisses." Genie Boswell of Alexandria says she can go longer between pedicures when the fish "have me for a buffet."

John says he has already made back his initial investment. If the current trend of roughly 50 pedicure customers a day continues, he says, he could clear $500,000 annually on the fish. He has also received hundreds of calls from people who want to open franchises.